There’s nothing new about marijuana edibles. In fact, pre-made and packaged edibles are one of the biggest staples of the legal cannabis industry. But a dispensary in Tempe, Arizona is taking the concept of edibles to a whole new level. Beginning in early October, the shop will begin serving fresh-made meals infused with medical cannabis.
Full-Scale Cannabis Kitchen
The Mint Dispensary recently announced plans for its new medical cannabis kitchen. In a press release issued today, the dispensary said it will begin offering freshly made meals to patients.
The new services are scheduled to begin October 5. When the kitchen opens, it will offer patients a full menu of cannabis-infused foods and drinks.
In particular, the menu will include breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Along with a variety of meals, the cannabis kitchen will also include coffee, a juice bar, and even gelato.
Further, the dispensary’s kitchen will also sell baked goods including a wide variety of pastries.
The menus have all been crafted by Chef Carylann Principal. According to the Mint Dispensary’s press release, Chef Principal is a classically trained chef and a cancer survivor.
Her experience dealing with cancer reportedly inspired her to team up with the dispensary.
“Our kitchen is one of a kind,” Principal said in the press release. “It’s a place where art meets science. In addition to understanding the variety of flavors that different cannabis strains can add to any dish, we’re also carefully calculating customized cannabis doses.”
She added: “We’re not only delivering delicious and fresh foods, but we’re also meeting the often-complex nutritional needs of patients who are living with a wide range of illnesses.”
Her breakfast menu is set to include dishes like blueberry muffins, apple fritters, donut holes, scones, banana bread, and more. Of course, they will all be infused with medical-grade cannabis.
Similarly, her lunch and dinner menus will feature cannabis-infused dishes such as hamburgers, Hatch chile macaroni and cheese, tacos, pizza, and more.
Innovating the World of Cannabis Edibles
The new venture is being hailed as the country’s first ever full-service kitchen devoted entirely to selling fresh-made medical cannabis meals.
And the dispensary isn’t planning on offering these meals exclusively within its brick and mortar store. In fact, the company has plans to roll out catering services.
This would likely include events such as weddings, birthdays, and funerals. The only potential complication is that the company would only be able to serve people at these events with a valid Arizona medical marijuana card.
Even more, the dispensary will also provide classes to teach patients how to cook with cannabis. In particular, Chef Principal plans to offer free cooking classes on Sunday mornings.
Additionally, she said she expects to offer holiday-themed cooking classes later this winter.
In many ways, the project is a response to the edibles products currently on the market. In particular, the fact that a large number of edibles tend to be desserts.
For example, some of the most commonly manufactured edibles are things like gummies, brownies, dessert bars, and cannabis-infused sodas.
Principal said that these may not be the most healthy options for patients already grappling with medical conditions. Now, she hopes to offer patients new, potentially more healthy, options.
